Narrative Essay Prompts
by V.E. on October 12th, 2005
filed under ladyamedeus, writing
2. [Lightbulb Moment] Think of an experience when you realized that you suddenly understood an idea, a skill, or a concept you had been struggling with — it might be something related to a class that you took or a specific athletic skill you were trying to perfect. For instance, you might think about trying to understand how to identify iambic pentameter in a poem or how to complete a Taylor Series problem in your Calculus class. Or you might consider trying to perfect your free throws and suddenly understanding how your follow-through was affecting your success. Write a narrative that tells the story of your movement toward understanding. How did you finally come to understand? What changed your perceptions and gave you a new understanding? Your paper should help readers understand how you felt to struggle with the idea or skill and then to understand.
3. [Childhood Event] Choose a vivid time from your childhood — You might think of the first time that you rode a school bus, of a time when you went to the principal’s office, the first A you earned on a test or paper, earning money to buy something that you really wanted, and so on. Narrate the events related to the childhood memory that you’ve chosen so that your readers will understand why the event was important and memorable.
4. [Achieving a Goal] Think of a time when you achieved a personal goal — you might have finally completed a marathon or triathlon, or you might have bettered your score on the SATs or another test, or you might have learned how to use a piece of software like Microsoft Word or Excel. Tell your readers about the story of how you met your goal. Be sure that your readers understand why the goal is important to you.
5. [The Good and the Bad] Think about an event in your life that seemed bad but turned out to be good. Maybe you got injured and while you were waiting for your broken leg to heal, you learned how to use a computer. What makes the event change from bad to good may be something that you learned as a result, something that you did differently as a result, or something that happened that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise. Tell the story of the event that you experienced and help your readers understand how an event that seemed negative turned out to have valuable consequences.
6. [Being a Teacher] Teaching someone else how to do something can be rewarding. Think of a skill that you’ve taught someone else how to do. Perhaps you taught someone else how to swim, showed someone how to bake a souffle, or helped someone learn how to study more effectively. Think about the events that made up the process of teaching the skill, and narrate the story for your readers.
7. [Changing Places] Every place has things that change — sometimes as the result of economics, sometimes because different people are involved, and sometimes for no clear reason that you know about. Think of a change to a place that you know well. Perhaps the local grocery store you grew up with as Smith and Bros. Grocery was bought out by a regional chain like Food Lion or Winn Dixie. Maybe the First National Bank of Smithburg suddenly becomes NationsBank. Perhaps the change was more personal — an older sibling moves out of the house and your family changes the room to a guest room or an office. Think of a specific change and narrate the events that occurred. Readers should know the details of the change, and they should know how you feel about the changes that occurred.
8. [Personal Rituals] Describe a personal ritual that you, your friends, or your family have. Think about the personal steps that you always go through when you prepare for an exam. Do you sit at a desk, spread books and notes across your bed, or use the kitchen table? Do you have to have something to drink…soda, water, jolt? There are numerous things that we do for which we create our own personal rituals. Choose one event — studying for a test, writing a paper, dressing and warming up before a game, or preparing and having a special family meal. Narrate the events that take place when you complete your ritual so that your readers understand the steps that the ritual includes and why you complete them.
9. [Standing Up] Choose a time when you did something that took a lot of nerve, a time when you didn’t follow the crowd or a time when you stood up for your beliefs. Perhaps your friends were urging you to do something that you were uncomfortable with and you chose not to cave into peer pressure. Maybe you took a stance on a political issue that was important in your community, or you might have Whatever you choose, think about the details of the event and write a story that tells about what happened. Your narrative should show your readers why you decided to make a stand or try something that took nerve, give specifics on the events, and share how you felt after the event.
10. [Disagreeing] Think of a time when you disagreed with a decision that had been made and did something about it. The decision might have been made by someone you know personally — your Biology teacher announced a new policy to grade for spelling and grammar on your quizzes and homework, or an older family member decides to cancel a subscription to a magazine that you liked to read. You might have responded by discussing your concerns with your principal or dean, or you might have decided to get a part-time job to earn enough money to buy the magazine yourself. Or the decision could have been made by someone you never met — perhaps your school board decided to change the lines in your school district so that you would have to go to a different school, or your state legislature has passed a bill that you disagreed with. Your response might have been to write a letter to the editor, to your state representative, or to the school board. Whatever happened, your job is to write a paper that narrates the events that occurred — from the decision that was made to your response. Be sure that your paper gives enough details that your readers understand why you disagreed with the decision and why you felt that your response was appropriate.
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Also:
http://www.word-windmill.com/random/index.html
http://www.writersmarket.com/index_ns.asp
http://www.writersdigest.com/writingprompts.asp
http://www.writersdigest.com/store/books.asp
April Epiphany
by V.E. on October 12th, 2005
filed under health, ladyamedeus, personal, school, thoughts
In early April 2005, I had an epiphany—
I was lying in bed in my dorm room, which–although I didn’t enjoy it–I could stand living in until the school year ended. The previous semester, I cut my arms with an Exacto knife I stole from Ben’s Underground in an effort to stay sane. This had two effects on my well-being, neither of which were continued sanity. First, it hurt and bled everywhere. Second, other people KNEW. I had not intended to receive the outside attention that I had, so in early February I stopped cutting so people would stop looking at me funny and asking if I was okay.
“I’m FINE,” I would tell them, even though I wasn’t. I didn’t admit that to myself for a long time.
Also during the fall semester, I pledged and became a sister of Kappa Beta Gamma. This move on my part ended up being the best decision of that entire year—it literally saved my life. I was very depressed and at times suicidal, but I knew the Gammas were there for me and I loved them for it. They didn’t ask about my cuts and scars—but they didn’t mind listening when I felt like I was going to spill everything. I was vulnerable and they never took advantage of me during that time. The other sisters never hazed any of us and they loved me like family. More than one occasion brought me to tears because I was so grateful that someone nearby (that is, in Pennsylvania) actually cared about me to say hello and ask about my day.
It’s not the big things, it’s the little ones that matter.
Last April, I had an epiphany. The curtains were drawn in my room and it was dark—as it usually was. I was buried under the covers, suffering through ANOTHER missed class—one of the many that semester. I don’t remember what I was thinking about—I know it wasn’t good—but suddenly I realised that for all the things I DID have to do, I didn’t HAVE to be depressed. I didn’t HAVE to be sad and suicidal and sick like I was.
I could be happy, or at least content, if I WANTED to be. I realised that every day is what we make of it. If I plan to have a shitty day, I WILL have a shitty day. I realised that I had been going about it all wrong.
I needed to plan to have a GOOD day. I HAVE to attend classes (I am paying, after all). I HAVE to go to work. I HAVE to eat and sleep. But I DON’T have to feel shitty all the time. I CAN feel good. It’s about how I look at things. It’s not about things happening to ME—it’s the other way around.
It may seem silly to some people that it took me until the end of my sophomore year in college to figure out something like that. Discovering that I didn’t have to be depressed didn’t fix everything. I still had to withdraw from a class that semester, and I still take anti-depressant medicine. But it DID help me realise that every day is NOT the end of the world; every day is the BEGINNING of the world. Life is only what I make of it. I’ll get out of it only as much as I put into it.
Voluntary simplicity
by V.E. on October 12th, 2005
filed under beauty, favorite, finances, fyi, ladyamedeus
Many simplicity gurus urge us to become “tightwads” as the true path to a simple life.
If life were a poem, simplicity would be the poet, frugality the line and meter.
If life were a painting, simplicity would be the artist, frugality the paint and brushes.
If life were a building, simplicity would be the architect, frugality the hammer and boards.
Voluntary simplicity is about freedom. It’s about owning your own life. Frugality is living with less of what money can buy. Voluntary simplicity is wanting less.
Soon after beginning our partnership more than 25 years ago, we made a revolutionary discovery. It changed our lives then and it continues to make us “different” now. You’ve heard it before: “time is money.” What we discovered is that’s not true – time is better than money!
This revelation has allowed us to be content in our work or to change that work when it no longer satisfies. It has permitted us to spend less time acquiring things and more time acquiring experiences, insights, and relationships. It has encouraged us to lend a helping hand in our community, whenever the need arises, because we can make the time to do it. It has given us freedom and control of our lives.
For some reason, it seems to us that many people have failed to grasp this simple truth. They trudge off to work every morning to put in their time at jobs they despise so they can buy things. Have you noticed? The more a person hates his or her job, the more money he or she spends on toys, time-shares, new cars, the latest trendy clothes, jewelry, etc. And the more one spends, the more one needs to hang on to that job, no matter what.
Is there a way out? We think so. If you’re already addicted to conspicuous consumption, it will take some getting used to. But it IS possible to own your own life if you are determined to do it. How? Simplify!!
You’ll be surprised to discover how much you can do without and still have more than enough to eat, stylish clothes to wear, a reliable car, a comfortable home – and time to do the things you really want to do. When the need for cash is reduced, it’s possible to pursue work that’s rewarding – the work you’ve always dreamed of doing – even though it pays less than the high pressure, low satisfaction job you thought you were locked into.
At the beginning of our own journey down a simpler path, we made a direct link between time and costs. When we asked ourselves, “Is it worth x hours of work to buy this?” it often wasn’t! If we’d rather spend those x hours doing something else, instead of earning funds for the purchase, we didn’t buy it. Because, of course, time is better than money.
Try this simple exercise. Make a list of the ten activities you enjoy most. Then make another list of the ten activities that occupy most of your time. Compare the two lists. This little self test may be all you need to convince you to jump off the merry-go-round.
Stop going around in circles and head straight toward what you really want to do.
It’s the wanting that counts. Doing what you want can make having things you want seem a lot less important. When having fewer things leads to having more time to do what you choose, you just may find you want fewer things!
And you’ll discover that voluntary simplicity makes frugality easy. Because time really is better than money.
From: word-works/simple
Break up when your love relationship is broken!
by V.E. on October 12th, 2005
filed under ladyamedeus, personal
The old song by Neil Sedaka went, “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.†But this is a necessary decision if your goal is to seek your soulmate and have a truly fulfilling love partnership. Rather than being surprised and offended, a smart woman or man will do what is best in this situation in spite of the short-term pain experienced by both people. To help you through this process,
1. MAKE A FIRM DECISION
You must determine clearly what moving on would mean to you and also what staying in the relationship would mean in terms of your future happiness and sense of fulfillment. You must determine the meaning before you can have the conviction to take action.
2. WRITE DOWN YOUR REASONS
To help you get clear on the pros and cons of a relationship, write down all the reasons for ending the relationship. Determine your 5 biggest reasons and how important they are to you in your grand scheme of life.
3. HANDLE SHORT-TERM FLINGS QUICKLY AND EASILY
With short term flings you can email, text message, voice message, or send a card. On Sex And The City, a guy left Carrie a Post-It-Note. With little invested, this may be the quickest, easiest, and least painful way of ending things. Some people just do a quick fade away, knowing that this may be least offensive or confrontational.
4. LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP REQUIRE RESPECT
With long-term relationships, you need a long letter and possibly an invitation to speak face-to-face. This is a matter of respect and breaking up with a Post-It-Note is not the way to go. Help the other person retain their dignity by treating them with compassion and respect during this difficult transition.
5. BE KIND BUT FIRM
When you are communicating in this period, keep in mind how you’d want to be treated if the tables were turned. Begin in a friendly manner and use good people skills. But remember that the purpose is the break up and not continue in the relationship. Hold your ground on what is most important.
6. STATE YOUR REASONS CLEARLY
The reason for writing down your reasons is so that you can be clear about why you’re doing this. That way you won’t be talked out of something that you know is the right thing to do. Rehearse this like you would a short speech. Know beforehand what you want to say and the key points that you have to cover.
7. STAY FOCUSED ON YOU AND YOUR NEEDS
You may want to touch on why this is also in the other person’s interests briefly, but overall what you know best is what’s best for you. You can have more conviction and influence by telling the other person how you really feel rather than to guess what’s going on with the other person.
8. GIVE THE SHORT VERSION
Don’t belabor the point and drag this up any further. Don’t say any more than what needs to be said. Dwelling on this will make things more painful for both parties. Get clear on what you need to say, say it, say it well, say it with the appropriate emotion, know what not to say, and then be done.
9. DON’T SAY THAT YOU’LL KEEP/LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN
Leaving the door open is a sign of weakness and only gives false hopes. It’s better to make a clean break and only resurface if the circumstances have changed radically. But overall remember that your purpose is to change direction not to slow it down. Start the process of change immediately by refusing to give in to weakness.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Breaking up can be hard to do especially with someone who has been important to you in the past. But like many things in life, you have to face reality with decisiveness and people with respect. Keep in mind that in the end, it is your decisions that will lead you to the happiness that you desire. Don’t get compromised by trying too hard to please other people.
